Mini donkey orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mini donkey orchid |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Diuris
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| Species: |
recurva
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The mini donkey orchid (scientific name: Diuris recurva) is a special type of orchid that only grows in the south-west part of Western Australia. It gets its common name because its flowers look a bit like a donkey's ears! This small plant has one or two leaves at its base and can have up to six pale yellow and brownish flowers. It likes to grow in places that get wet during winter, especially between the towns of Badgingarra and Kalbarri.
Contents
What Does It Look Like?
The mini donkey orchid is a tuberous plant. This means it grows from a round, underground storage part, a bit like a potato. It's a perennial herb, so it lives for more than two years and its stems are soft, not woody.
Leaves and Stems
This orchid usually has one or two long, thin leaves. They are about 10 to 15 centimetres (4 to 6 inches) long and about 5 millimetres (0.2 inches) wide. The leaves are often folded lengthwise. The flowers grow on a stem that stands about 20 to 30 centimetres (8 to 12 inches) tall.
Flowers
The mini donkey orchid can have up to six small flowers on each stem. Each flower is about 1.6 to 2 centimetres (0.6 to 0.8 inches) long and 1.2 to 1.6 centimetres (0.5 to 0.6 inches) wide. They are pale yellow with brownish or dark burgundy-coloured markings.
- Dorsal Sepal: This is the top part of the flower. It curves upwards, sometimes even backwards. It's shaped like an egg, about 8 millimetres long and 7 millimetres wide.
- Lateral Sepals: These are the two side parts. They are green or reddish, about 9 to 12.5 millimetres long and 2 millimetres wide. They usually point downwards and cross over each other.
- Petals: The petals stand mostly upright. Each petal has an egg-shaped blade about 10 to 13 millimetres long and 4 to 6.5 millimetres wide. They sit on a greenish-brown stalk.
- Labellum: This is the "lip" of the orchid, about 4 to 5 millimetres long. It has three parts, called lobes.
- The middle lobe is shaped like a spatula, about 3 to 4.5 millimetres wide. It's dark reddish-brown with yellow patches.
- The two side lobes are about 4 to 5 millimetres long and 3 millimetres wide, and they curve backwards.
- Callus: There is a single raised ridge along the middle of the labellum.
The mini donkey orchid flowers during July and August.
How It Was Named
Taxonomy
Diuris recurva was first officially described in 1991 by a botanist named David Jones. He wrote about it in a magazine called Australian Orchid Review, after finding a sample near Northampton.
Scientific Name Meaning
The second part of its scientific name, recurva, comes from a Latin word meaning "recurved". This refers to how the petals and side sepals of the flower curve backwards.
Where It Lives
The mini donkey orchid mostly grows in areas that get wet during winter. These areas are often called "heathlands". You can find it between the towns of Badgingarra and Kalbarri in Western Australia. It lives in specific natural areas known as the Avon Wheatbelt, Geraldton Sandplains, and Jarrah Forest biogeographic regions.
Conservation Status
The Government of Western Australia's Department of Parks and Wildlife has classified Diuris recurva as "Priority Four". This means that the mini donkey orchid is considered rare or close to being threatened. It's important to protect these special plants so they can continue to grow in the wild.
